Half to the tangyes



(lq oMoideiJ I 2 Sheets-Sheet 1. v

0. w. PINKNEY. p A A APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING GAS.

No. 568,038. A Patented Sept. 22, 1896.

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet '2.

- 0. W. PINKNEY.

APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING GA$.

- Patented Sept. 22,1896.

UNITED STATES PATENT FFICE-v CHARLES W. PINKNEY, OF SMETHWVIOK, ENGLAND, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-- HALF TO THE TANGYES, LIMITED, OF BIRMINGHAM,ENGLAND.

APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING GAS.

SPECIFIGATIONforming part of Letters Patent No. 56$,Q38, dated September22, 1896. Application filed November 7,1895. Serial No. 568,204. (Nomodel.) Patented in England January 29,1895, No. 2,017.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known thatl, CnARLns VVILLIAM PINKNEY, engineer, a subject of theQueen of Great Britain and Ireland, residing at 7 '7 Raglan Road,Srnethwick, in the county of Stafiord, England, have invented certainImprovements in Apparatus or Furnaces for Producing Gas fromCarbonaceous Matter, (for which I have obtained a patent in GreatBritain, No. 2,017, dated January 29, 1895,) of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to apparatus or furnaces for producing gas fromcarbonaceous matter, and has for its principal object to progreen fuelis fed into the apparatus.

of the apparatus. 35

vide means whereby the more volatile hydrocarbons or tarrymatters can bereadily and efiiciently converted into fixed or permanent gases in thegenerator.

According to this invention 1 provide (Within a suitable casing, ifnecessary) a space for the lower portion of the fire, below this spacebeing the outlet-for the gas produced and above it a continuation of thelire-space, the said continuation being constituted by vertical orinclinedbars or grating, around which is a casing or inclosure, intowhich steam and airare admitted. Above the said bars or grating thefire-space is continued, and terminates in a hopper by which the Thelowest part of the fire-space may terminate in a water well or lute toenable the ashes to be withdrawn without stopping the working hen theapparatus is at work after the fire has been started, say to about themiddle of thebars or. grating, and green fuel has been supplied abovethis, the steam and air are admitted into the space surroundingthe barsor gratin g an d passing therethrough will pass down through the hotfuel beneath and be decomposed and take up carbon from the fuel, and atthe same time the green fuel above gives up its volatile hydrocarbons ortarry compounds, which also pass down with the steam and air, and thewhole is converted into gas well suited, for instance, for use ingas-engines, after it has been passed through scrubbers or other devicesthat may be necessary to treat it to fit it for use. The bars or gratingaforesaid may be arranged in any suitable manner, such as verheatedbefore they are admitted to the fuel,

and this may be effected by passing them through pipes surrounding thebars or grating or the fire-space, or the bars or grating may constitutethe said pipes. In order that this invelition may be well understood, Ihave illustrated in the accompanying drawings an apparatus or furnaceconstructed in accordance therewith.

Figure l is a vertical section of the apparatus, and Fig. 2 is a plan.Fig. 3 is a section of the lower part of the apparatus at right anglesto Fig. 1; and Figsia and 5 are modifications, as hereinafter described.

The circular casing A is made of steel tightly riveted together at thejoints, the top plate 13 being securely bolted to the said casing A toprevent any of the hydrocarbons leaking into the'atmosphere. Surroundingabout the middle or toward the upper por tion of the furnace is avertical grating 0, inside the box D, the space between the grating Cand box D forminga passage for steam and air to enter through thegrating C.

In Fig. 1 the grating O is shown inclined. or of conical form, with'thesmaller part downward; but it canbevertieal, as shown in Fig. 4, ifdesired.

The casing A is lined with fire-brick E or its equivalent The part F ofthe furnace extending from the grating O to the outlets G is preferablytaper, as shown in Fig. 1, (the larger part being at bottom.) The doorsHare for clinkering and cleaning purposes. Underneath the furnace at Lis a water lute or seal for clinkkering purposes when the generator isrequired to work continuously. The continuation J is formed slightlyconical to prevent .the fire inside the furnace from falling too quicklywhen the ashes or clinkers are being removed from the space K in thewater seal L in the chamber M. The holes lined with tubes N are forstirring purposes, and are made secure, when working, by the heavysealed plugs O. The fuel is fed through the hopper P.

Q is the blower-box, and Q the steam and air inlet passage. Severalblowers can be used, if desired, at different parts to insure the steamand air passing around the grating C.

R is a pipe used when starting to drain off any water of condensationcaused by the steam coming into contact with cool surfaces, a cock beingfixed at the outer end of the said pipe R, to be closed when theapparatus is at work. Any ash can be removed from the box D through thedoors S. If it be desired to superheat the steam before it passes intothe fuel in the furnace, any suitable arrangem entof superheating-pipescan be used. For example, a coil of steam-pipes can be put inside thebox D, close up to grating O, as shown in Fig. 4, or the grating-barscan be made of tubing, through which the steam, on its way from theboiler to the blower, can be made to pass, thereby becoming highlyheated. This is show-11 in Fig. 5.

WVhen the apparatus is to be put into operation, water is placed in thechamber M to the predetermined height, and the continuation J is filledwith ashes or small fuel to a level or about a level with the outlet G,and the hopper-valve T is opened and a fire is lighted through theclinker-doors H, which fire should be continued until it reaches themiddle of the grating O. This can be seen by removing one of the doorsS. The furnace is then filled up with fuel, and the doors H S andhopper-valve T are closed, and steam is turned on at the blower-box Q,which steam will mix with atmospheric air on its way down the passage Qinto the grating-box D. The said steam and air will pass togetherthrough the grating G, into and down through the heated fuel underneaththe grating C, to the outlet G. The said steam and air on their waythrough the said fire will become decomposed and take up carbon, and thegreen fuel above the grating is (owing to the heat beneath it) giving upits volatile hydrocarbons, which are also compelled to pass downwardwith the decomposing steam and air, so that the whole becomes thoroughlyformed into carbon monoxid gas. It then passes out at the outlet G andmay be passed through scrubbers into a gas-holder or to the place ofconsumption or utilization.

Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of thisinvention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare thatwhat I claim is- 1. In apparatus or furnaces for producing gas fromcarbonaceous matter, a vertical or practically vertical chamber for thecarbonaceous matter, the said chamber having between the upper part forreceiving the fresh fuel and the lower part provided at its lower endwith an outlet for the gases an intermediate partsurrounded by agrate-section, and means for introducing air and steam through saidgrate-section, whereby the mixture of air and steam entering through thegrate passes downwardly through the heated fuel beneath the grate to theoutlet, carrying with it volatile hydrocarbons released from the greenfuel in the upper part of the vertical space by the heat from theunderlying fuel, substantially as described.

2. In apparatus or furnaces for producing gas from carbonaceous matter,a vertical or practically vertical fuel space or chamber, divided intoan upper zone for the green fuel having an inlet for said fuel, a lowerzone for the incandescent fuel having at its bottom a gas-outlet, and anintermediate zone surrounded by a grate, and means for supplying air andsteam through said grate to the fuel,

whereby said mixture of air and steam passes downwardly through theincandescent fuel to the gas-outlet, carrying with it volatilehydrocarbons which are released from the green fuel in the upper zone ofthe chamber by the heat from the underlying fuel, substantially asdescribed.

3. In apparatus or furnaces for producing gas from carbonaceous matter,an upright chamber divided into an upper zone for the green fuel, havingan inlet for said fuel, a lower zone for the incandescent fuel having atits bottom a gas-outlet, and an intermediate zone formed by an annulargrate having its bars arranged in a substantially upright position, anda casingabout said grate having a steam and air inlet thereto, wherebythe mixture of steam and air passes through the grate downwardly throughthe incandescent fuel to the gas-outlet, carrying with it volatilehydrocarbons which are released from the green fuel in the upper zone bythe heat from the underlying incandescent fuel, substantially asdescribed.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

C. IV. PIN KNEY.

Witnesses E. HARKER, ORLANDO CECIL POWER.

